Last night, reports reader Rodney Brunlinger, he rode his bike to Winco to pick up one item. The store was pretty busy but he estimates he took less than five minutes. ‘When I came out at 8:40, my bike was gone and the cut cable was still on the bike rack,” he wrote.

“I immediately went in and told the [manager,” he said. “They told me they would review their security film footage only if I filed a police report, and only with the police.”

Brunlinger was frustrated. He is trying to file a report now but he knows a property crime won’t be at the top of the list for officers so he asked the Redheaded Blackbelt community to help.

Here’s a photo of the bike from a couple of years ago. The seat has changed but the bike frame and colors are still the same. It’s a 2005 (1955 Fifty year anniversary commemorative reissue) Schwinn Deluxe Seven. If you have any information, you can contact the Eureka Police Department at (707) 441-4060 or just email Brunlinger at kurioux2000@yahoo.com. Pass on the information on social media if you can.

Probably not the most compassionate things to say, I agree. But parking a bike like that in front of Winco is just inviting trouble. Maybe they are new to the area. What can I possibly say to make “the owner of the bike happy”? Hey bro, keep your head up. There is a chance it will show up in somebodies yard. Keep the faith!

It’s all good; the Pee Wee joke, the reminder that Winco is a dangerous place to park.
I was on my way home from work. Two weeks ago, my friend Kenton’s battery was stolen out of his car, during a weekday, in front of the Courthouse on 5th street. He waited two hours for a tow-truck with a new battery and the EPD. The battery showed up, EPD never showed up and never called him. I actually find Winco’s refusal to share video footage they have of a crime and EPD’s refusal to help residents to be offensive. If I had been caught stealing donuts from Winco, the video evidence and the EPD handcuffs would be on me like snap!
Postscript, a friend has already given me a loaner bike and other friends have offered to help me find another bike. The good people who help restore my faith in humanity, thank you all.

Winco allows flagrant theft of their shopping carts, what makes you think that they would care about a bicycle?

They just bought nifty new shopping carts with locking wheels. I discovered that after I parked near the perimeter. The wheels locked up about 20 feet from my car, I had to drag it the rest of the way. However I approve of the anti-theft device. Maybe they should design a bicycle with locking wheels that only the owner could unlock. I’d bet that would stop some theft.

In the future, use a Kryptonite U-lock, specifically a New York caliber, super-thick one (check the company’s website). You can instead get a super thick Kryptonite chain lock. Thieves won’t be able to cut ’em using normal bolt cutters nor the usual measures to defeat the lock or chain. The downside is that these caliber locks are very heavy. If you only ride to one destination regularly, keep the lock secured to the bike rack so you don’t have to transport it each time you go out.

OK, so a perp steals a bike, even he he gets caught, the cops will let him go, California has been too soft on crime. I think we should go back and repeal prop 47 and AB109. If the criminals know that they are going to get hard time for stealing and drug dealing, maybe that will deter them. Hope you get your bike back.

Sorry for your loss, Brother Rodney. That was a disc carrying, PBR toting, Brunlinger steed for many years. It was an object of controversy with pinkhouse, and once I even spied a Susan B. wedged in the front spring…
All flippancy aside, I hope that blue relic is recovered, and that you are doing well otherwise. This blog arena is better than the other mosh pit outpost for civilized information.